[at-l] Then came the winds...a trip report

[Paul Magnanti]

Figure it has been a while since I posted a trip report. In this case, multiple reports.

Since a few of you inquired about the conditions in my neck of the woods, here it is. Also some of you know Nira/42 from this lst and the women's lis as wellt.  Enjoy.

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Skiing by the light of the full moon is a wonderful experience. Gliding along on the powdery snow, the moon makes the snow a silvery glow, and all with a hot drink from a thermos while looking at the mountains. What could be better?

On Wednesday January 3rd, some friends and myself did a full moon ski (or snowshoe for some) up to Lost Lake. The jaunt to Lost Lake is perfect: not too much elevation gain, short and easy to follow.

We all arrived at the trail head. What changed the equation from an easy jaunt to something a bit more challenging were the winds! The night really was not that cold; but the winds made things considerably more difficult.

We all geared up and made the trek to the lake. Being a good trip leader, I took "sweep" and stuck with the slower group. The downside? By the time I made it to the lake, people had turned around! No matter. The night was still beautiful. The cold air and extremely bright moon will always make the night one to remember.

After making the way back to the cars, some of us went to the Mountain Sun for happy hour pints. What better way to end an evening than a pint or two of good brew with friends?

Life ain't bad. Not bad at all.

Continuing my skiing adventures I am continuing to enjoy the snow in Boulder. It is rather nice to do a ski tour in the Boulder open space. No need to drive 45 minutes. I can just go to a local trail head and spend the morning enjoying the local foothills.

The big ski adventure this past weekend was on January 7th. My friend Nira (aka 42) has never been backcountry skiing before. For some reason she thought I was qualified to take her out for his first backcountry jaunt! We drove up to Nederland, rented the appropriate gear and made it to the trailhead. The winds were again ferocious! So bad, that the nearby Eldora ski area was closed down. There were sustained winds of of up to 65 MPH and gusts of up to 115 MPH not too long after we finished for the day! :O

Luckily I had some extra gear (face mask, balaclava, etc.) so Nira and I were both able to "tough out" the cold winds. Lots of frost in our clothing..but it was still an enjoyable day. The hot cider helped a lot as well! (Favorite piece of winter gear? My thermos!). Nira was a trooper. Though she fell every now and then, she got back up and continued. There's a good reason why she finished the AT!

Afterwards we returned her rental gear and made our way to my other favorite place to go after a day of skiing: Kathmandu restaurant! Saag, naan, and momos. All washed down with a Fat Tire. Life continues to be good!

PICS: http://snipurl.com/177uq
PREVIOUS REPORTS (IF this rambling is not too much! :D) : http://snipurl.com/178xc
 
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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust 
caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau
http://www.pmags.com